Everything You Need to know About the 2024 Joola Paddles

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Introduction

One of the biggest releases for 2024 is finally here. The new gen 3 Joola paddles. There is a lot to unpack with these, but the main thing that you need to know is that these are HEAVILY power focused like the Gearbox Pro Power.

The big difference is that these have a much larger sweet spot than the Gearbox and are much less reliant on lead tape than the Gearbox.

Now, just know that these are VERY hard to use and I wouldn’t recommend them for most people. You’ll see a lot more amateurs popping up the ball and failing to block speed ups, unless they spend extensive time drilling with it.

Undeniably these are top tier paddles, but just be aware of the trade offs in control that are going to come with it.

The new Magnus

With Tyson McGuffin switching over to Joola, they’ve now created a new signature shape for him, the Magnus.

This is the same shame as Selkirk Power Air. That would be an elongated paddle with a short 5.25” handle length as opposed to the 5.5” handle on the Perseus.

This is Joola’s first pro paddle with a handle this short.

I know they claim that the Scorpeus is 5.25”, but they are wrong haha. They always wrap the grip too short and you can easily squeeze out 5.5” from it. If you hold it up to a Perseus, they are the same length.

The new core design

Joola has introduced what they are calling Propulsion Core. This is their new design that introduces all of the power to these paddles. The primary driver of this power is a new layer of soft foam that they added around the polymer core. They even cut off part of the core to add this foam.

While it may seem like a small change, I promise you that it does not play like a small change at all.

Will the Scorpeus be control oriented?

Even the Scorpeus line which has been more control centric is a rocket this year. While it may have a bit less power than the elongated shapes, it’s not by much and certainly does not fall into the control category.

I think it will probably be a very appealing model though, because you’re getting low swing weight with tons of power. Traditionally the standard shape is lacking in power, but these are by no means lacking power.

Which one should I buy?

This is very hard to answer, because it’s a very individualized question. For me, I found that I really enjoyed the 14mm versions. The Scorpeus 14mm being my favorite of the bunch.

HOWEVER 90%+ of you should use the 16mm

I am going to be one of the odd ones this time around who enjoys the 14mm versions more. For some reason I found them more predictable to use and have less of a sling shot effect than the 16mms.

I don’t think most people will find this to be their experience though. If you’re going to pick one, you should probably choose 16mm.

Which shape should I choose?

Again, very it will be different from person to person and it’s hard to make a blanket statement. If you like short handles, the Magnus is your only option. If you like standard shapes, the Scorpeus is your only option.

That leaves the Hyperion and Perseus that fight for a similar position. We weren’t sent Hyperions in time for review, but my guess is that they will have a lower swing weight than the Perseus but still retain that elongated length that the Perseus has.

I really like the Scorpeus and I anticipate enjoying the Hyperion a fair bit. However, the one you choose should probably come down to your swing weight preferences which you can see in the video for full details.

Is it better than a Gearbox?

Better is a bit subjective, but generally speaking I think the gen 3 Joola’s will be better for most players out there. This is primarily due to the sweet spot being much larger on the Joola’s.

The Gearbox has suffered a bit from a smaller sweet spot that frequently needs lead to bring out the full potential.

The Joola’s don’t have this issue. That alone will make it easier to use for most people.

I still think the Gearbox hits a smidge harder overall though. So, if absolute raw power was your highest priority, that would probably have to be your pick.

The power isn’t linear

One thing I didn’t mention in my video review that I should have, is the power of this paddle and how it responds. In my opinion, the more you give the paddle in terms of swing speed, the more you get out of it.

Okay, duh, right?

But to me the way the paddle returns energy doesn’t feel linear. Once you cross a threshold of speed, the power gain almost feels exponential.

Most paddles feel very linear in how much power they put out, but the Joola’s act differently. So, if you frequently swing slow or aren’t much of a banger, you might not experience that power.

However, if you can generate good head speed, the more you put in, the more you are going to get out.

At least, that has been my experience so far.

For more information

If you want more in-depth information, make sure to check out the full video! There’s a lot to unpack that is too much for a newsletter.